Cabrera : 'I played the best golf of my life'

Spain’s Rafael Cabrera Bello is not going to forget his first European Tour victory, however many more follow.

Eight shots behind entering the final round of the Austrian Open in Vienna, the 25-year-old became only the 13th player to score 60 on the circuit and beat England’s Benn Barham by one.

The biggest comeback of the Tour season was also only the third time in its history that someone had taken a title with a closing 60. Ian Woosnam and Jamie Spence were the others in 1990 and 1992.

But still nobody has achieved a 59 – and Cabrera Bello’s name is now on the list of those who stood on the final green with a chance.

A 30-foot eagle putt would have given him the magic mark, although he insisted afterwards that he was not thinking about it.

“I knew if I birdied the last three I’d do it, but on the 17th I just wanted to make par (he sank a 14-footer after finding sand) and forgot about it,” said the Canary Islander, who as a 17-year-old amateur finished fourth in the 2002 Spanish Open.

“To win is just amazing – I played the best golf of my life and I can’t believe it. I was so far back (after 54 holes) I wasn’t thinking about winning. I just tried to play a shot at a time and today it worked out really, really good.”

He had missed eight of his last 10 halfway cuts, but suddenly everything clicked and 11 birdies in one round was only one short of the Tour record.

Barham had been three clear when he resumed, but covering the first 10 holes in one over opened the door.

Needing to win to secure his Tour card for next year, the 33-year-old from Kent did birdie the 11th, 12th and 16th to keep his hopes alive.

A play-off looked odds-on with the reachable par five 18th to come, but he drove in the rough, had to lay up and missed his 18-foot birdie attempt.

“I’m happy with how I played all week, but disappointed to finish second,” said Barham. “To lose by one to someone shooting 60 on the last day is hard to take to be honest.”

For the second week running Ryder Cup Dane Soren Hansen finished third.

“I thought if I stayed ahead of Soren I’d be fine,” added Barham. “But I’ve got lots to be proud of. I was at a stage a few weeks ago where I didn’t know where my next good result was coming from.

“I was stuck in a rut, so this really gives me confidence for the coming weeks.”

He is up from 175th to 126th on the standings, but only the top 115 at the end of the season in November retain membership.